Plane isolated at Madrid airport for Ebola check

MADRID (AP) -- An Air France plane was isolated at Madrid's airport on Thursday because of a suspected Ebola case after a passenger was reported to have a fever and shivers, officials said.

The passenger, who had traveled from Lagos, Nigeria, was taken by ambulance with a driver wearing full protective gear to Madrid's Carlos III hospital, but the rest of the passengers were allowed to leave the plane as normal, Air France said in a statement.

The flight, carrying 163 people, arrived in Madrid from Paris, the company said. The plane was taken to a special area of the airport.

A Health Ministry spokeswoman said authorities were treating the incident as a suspected Ebola case.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with the regulations of her office.

Earlier, Health Ministry spokesman Fernando Simon said the condition of the Spanish nursing assistant with Ebola appeared to be improving but a person who came into contact with her before she was hospitalized Oct. 6 has a fever and will be hospitalized and tested for the virus.

Meanwhile, Danish authorities were also testing a medical worker for Ebola from Doctors Without Borders who had been in West Africa.

Sweden said it would give an additional 100 million kronor ($14 million) in humanitarian aid to support efforts to fight the Ebola outbreak.

That was in addition to $140 million ($19 million) pledged previously.

In Geneva, a World Health Organization official said the death toll from the Ebola crisis will rise to more than 4,500 this week from among 9,000 people infected by the deadly disease.